Drama

THE TERROR LIVE – Deu tae-ro ra-i-beu (2014)

the-terror-live

On the surface this thriller starts off quite traditionally but veers off into a deeper study of terrorism and the reasons for it. Bear in mind this is not any kind of religious terrorism but the act is the act. Wikipedia describes is as:

“Terrorism is commonly defined as violent acts (or threat of violent acts) intended to create fear (terror) perpetrated for a religious, political or ideological goal, and which deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (neutral military personnel or civilians).”

Young-Hwa Yoon (Jung-woo Ha) is a radio host who has recently lost his job as a top, national tv anchor on a news station, when a caller tells him that he has planted a bomb on a nearby bridge, Yoon sees this as an opportunity to get back on television and tries to utilize this chance to further his career.

This is an interesting film that asks questions, it is by no means flawless but when compared to many of the ‘thrillers’ coming out of Hollywood it is a refreshing take on the genre.

South Korea has been a go-to for me for films whenever I’m feeling frustrated or bored by the usual fare. Even an average film out of there is a cut above what we are usually exposed to.

Set entirely in the news station in real time, this creates the claustrophobia felt by our hero, allowing the audience to share the trapped feeling. The budget isn’t massive (US$3.12m) but director, Byeong-woo Kim, utilizes it very well and economically.

A welcome addition to the terrorist debate.

3/5

BUY THE DVD HERE

DOWNLOAD THE FILM ON iTUNES HERE

WHIPLASH (2014)

whiplash-uk-1sheet

What does it take to be the best? 20,000 hours? A single-minded focus? Total commitment? Obsession, a special kind of madness out of which genius is born. The pursuit of excellence becomes a compulsion for Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller). This type of dedication is bound to pay off, especially coupled with an unwavering tenacity.

Damien Chazelle directs this film about a student and his intense teacher. Andrew Neiman (Teller) is a talented drummer at a prestigious music college who has aspirations of being truly great and catches the eye of Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), the school’s top teacher who pushes Andrew to reach his highest potential.

Chazelle had tried to get funding for the film a few years back but wasn’t able to secure any so he made a short film out of his screenplay which won the Short Film Jury Award at Sundance in 2013 and subsequently managed to find the funding to make the feature.

The music is fantastic, hearing the tunes being played by the orchestra is a joy and the use of it, arranged and compiled by Justin Hurwitz is inspired.

Can we talk about the acting for a minute?

J.K. Simmonds (who richly deserved the Oscar win) has always been a sturdy, interesting actor that I have watched with joy since 1997, when HBO’s Oz was first released. His performance as Vern Schillinger, the leader of the Aryan brotherhood was incredible and since then he has had my vote. It’s great that he’s getting the recognition he so richly deserves; this is a career-defining role. As Terence Fletcher he pushes his performance to the limit playing a bully with a selfless goal. Miles Teller is given a great gift playing opposite him. Teller is talented young actor who commits 100% to this role, blood, sweat and tears. It’s also great to see Paul Reiser turn up as Andrew’s father and Melissa Benoist is perfect as Nicole.

The story-telling aspect was unexpected, and it unfolded in a slightly unconventional way and this, added to the acting, the music and editing, made it a very enjoyable film. This film won three Oscars this year, Best Supporting Actor (Simmonds), Best Sound Mixing (Craig Mann) and Best Editing (Tom Cross). Well deserved.

If you’re a jazz or music fan, check it out and if you’re a fan of interesting story-telling, check it out.

3.8/5

PRE-ORDER THE DVD HERE

DOWNLOAD THE FILM ON iTUNES HERE